CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSSOn 27 December 1942, the Second Battalion, 2nd Marines sent out a trio of platoon-sized combat patrols to scout Japanese positions along the north coast of Guadalcanal. First contact was made within fifteen minutes, and a “desultory” firefight escalated into a “very sharp skirmish” by the early afternoon. When orders came to withdraw, however, many of the Marine dead were left behind.

Private Robert Suttles of F/2/2 was killed during the operation. His body could not be retrieved, and had to be left in the field.